Airplane collapsible undercarriage for alighting on land and water



Dec. 15, 1931. R. A. A. COUZINET 1,836,704

AIRPLANE COLLAPSIBLE UNDERCARRIAGE FOR ALIGHTING ON LAND AND WATER Filed Sept. 12, 1950 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RENE ALEXANDRE ARTHUR OOUZINE'I', OF

LEVALLOIS-PERET, FRANCE Application filed September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,491, and

The present invention has for main object improvements in airplane collapsible undercarriages for alighting on land and water, and is characterized by the following points ap lied separately or in combinations:

a) The undercarriages are arranged, in raised position, in the wake of the side en- 'nes or in the housings of these engines;

(1)) The undercarriages and more particularly the floats, are arranged, in raised 0- sition, in housings or cut away parts suitably provided in the hull of an airplane or the housings of the side engines of the latter, so as to complete, in collapsed position, the keel of this bull or of the side frames carrying ghe engines according to suitable lines of air ow. I

The above mentioned feature can give rise to numerous forms of construction which are obviously all included in the scope of the invention and can difier from each other,- either b the shape, constitution and arrangement 0 the undercarriages as well as by the collapsing means which can be of an type whatever,-or by the arrangement 0 these undercarriages and more particularly of the wheels or floats in the wake of the side engines; this arrangement being such that the air streams suitably flow against the walls of these wheels or of these floats,-.-or by the arrangement of the landing undercarriages in the housing of the side engines; these landing undercarriages fitting within these housings through ports which are preferably obturated, after collapsing, and particularly by the very members constituting these under carriages,or by the arrangement of the undercarriages for alighting on water in the bull or the housing of the side engines, the floats obturating the entrance openings of these housings or completing the latter according to circumstances, whether these h0usings present suitable recesses, or whether they have such these floats against the housing constitutes a stream-lined structure.

The invention also relates to detail objects constituent of the main object, and more particularly to the means for raising the undera shape that the application of in France September 14, 1929.

carriages for alightin on land or water, these means being mamly c aracterized:

(a) By a kinematic device comprising, for each half-undercarriage, at least a first strut pivoted at one of its ends on the frame-work and the other end of which mounted on the axle of float, and the other end of the airplane, is pivoted or rigidly the wheel or on the of which moves in translation on a guide having means for moving in translation the end of this strut and holding it stationary at any desired point of its displacement,

(b) By a kinematic device having at least, for each half-undercarriage, a first strut pivoted, at one of its ends, on the framework of the airplane, and rigidly secured, at the other end, to the axle or to the float, of a second strut pivoted, at one of its ends, either on the first strut, or on the axle or the float, and the other end of which is slidably mounted on a guide,

(a) By a kinematic device having at least, for each half-undercarriage, a system of tour bar motions or quadrilaterals or lozenges, the extended sides of one of which forms the sides of the adjacent quadrilateral, the sides of the upper quadrilateral being extended by two struts, one of which is pivoted on the framework of the airplane, and the other is movable in translation on a guide; two similar devices arranged in two perpendicular planes can be combined for constituting a triangular structure.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example only, various forms of construction of improved collapsible undercarriages in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 1 is a a longitudinal section of a first form of construction.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a second form. Fig. 4 is a corresponding end view. Fig. 5 is an end view of a third-form.

Fig. 6 is a corresponding longitudinal sec-.

tion.

In thebest conditions of construction an undercarriage for alighting on land or water creates considerable head resistance. Its collapsing durin flight within capacities already enclosecf, would procure an important I housing 1 gain of power or speed. On the other hand, for reasonsv of security and efiiciency, multiengine machines are more and more frequently used. In these conditions, a ropelling motor unit and'a half undercarriage are frequently adjacent to each other. One of the main objects of the present invention consists in arranging these two systems in one and the same wake and preferably in one and the same keel. Such an arrangement is more particularly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4. The judicious arrangement of the driving motor unit relatively to the structure of the wing, riage. On the other hand, the cowling usually tapered far at the rear, facilities the colmplete collapsing of the undercarriage itse f.

An engine 1 is arranged in front of the wing and between this engine and the spar of the wing exists a space sufiicient for the Withdrawal of the undercarriage. On the ground, the hub of a wheel 2 is braced at three points at 3 by three struts 4, 5 and 6 pivoted on the wing at 7, 8 for the struts 4 and 5, the strut 6 being moved by any suitable means so that the whole can be withdrawn within the as illustrated in Fig. 1. The space situated behind the engine 1 need not be enclosed, the raised wheel 2 being then simply placed in the wake of the latter. If the easmg exists, the wheel enters therein, through an openin which can be closed after withdrawal. ft is however possible to allow a portion of the wheel to project out through this opening, this permitting to dispense with a door and eliminating the eddies which would be generated in the vicinity of the uncovered opening.

The same device can be provided with the wheel rising behind the spar as shown in Fig 3.

The wheel 2 can also be pivoted so as to swing laterally, as-shown in Fig. 4, in which case the undercarriage is moved sideways as indicated by the arrow 9.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a constructional modification in which the wheel 2 is mounted at the end of struts 10, 11 and 12, the struts 10 and 11 being pivoted at 13 and 14 and the strut 12 moving in translation, at its upper end, through the medium of a slide-block 15, on a guide 16. The slide-block 15 can be moved and held stationary at any desired point of its displacement by any suitable means.

It is obvious that the forms of construction described and illustrated are only simple examples capable of receiving modifications as well in the constitution of the various elements as in the relative arrangement of the latter. All modifications which do not alter in any way the main features above set forth and the object sought for are all included in the scope of the invention.

allows to house the raised undercar- RENE ALEXANDRE ARTHUR COUZINET. 

